Chicago, IL — On October 2, 2018, Kierra Coles, a 23-year-old pregnant USPS worker, disappeared from her South Side Chicago apartment, leaving behind a trail of questions that remain unsolved eight years later. Coles, three months pregnant at the time, was last seen wearing her postal uniform, despite having called in sick for her shift.
Surveillance footage captured Kierra leaving her home that morning. Later, she was seen withdrawing cash from an ATM — her final confirmed sighting. When her mother, Karen Phillips, did not hear from her daughter the following day, she requested a welfare check. Police found Kierra’s purse and cell phone inside her apartment, while her car remained parked outside. Authorities suspect possible foul play.
In July 2022, Chicago police identified a person of interest. According to Lt. William Svilar, a man entered Kierra’s residence on the morning of her disappearance. She left with him in her car, and later that day, surveillance shows the vehicle parked in a different area with only the man exiting. The following morning, the man returned to Kierra’s building in her car, removed unidentified items, and left in his own vehicle. His identity has not been released, and he gave conflicting statements to investigators.
Kierra had been dating her long-term boyfriend, Josh, for six years, and they were expecting their first child. However, police and friends have suggested she may have been involved with another man. Retired Chicago detective Pamela Childs explored this possibility in the March 2026 episode of Hunt for the Missing: Chicago, speaking with family and friends about unusual activity at Kierra’s apartment on the day she vanished.
Her parents remain determined to find answers. Joseph Coles has repeatedly urged anyone with information to come forward. “Someone knows smth. I’m not going anywhere,” he said. Karen Phillips shares his resolve: “As long as I’ve got breath in my body, I’m never gonna give up. I feel like if I give up, I’m letting her down again.”
Chicago police continue to classify the case as active. A $68,000 reward is still offered for any information leading to an arrest and conviction.
The disappearance of Kierra Coles remains one of Chicago’s most confounding cold cases, and authorities encourage anyone with information to speak up.
